For immediate releaseJanuary 25, 2002
Contact:Pfizer: Sandra Ekberg212-573-3449AMGA: Julie Sanderson-Austin703-838-0033, ext. 356
NEW RESOURCE ON CARING FOR HIGH-RISK PATIENTS AVAILABLE FROM PFIZER INC AND THE AMERICAN MEDICAL GROUP ASSOCIATION
New York, January 25, 2002 -- Today's quality-driven healthcare environment presents medical professionals with new challenges to improve clinical outcomes for high-risk patients while controlling costs. To help organizations create care management programs, Pfizer and the American Medical Group Association (AMGA) have collaborated on publishing the second volume of Innovations in Caring for High-Risk Patients, a compendium of best practices, which is now available.
This new publication presents 7 applications selected from 22 applications submitted for the 2001 AMGA/Pfizer Models of Excellence in High-Risk Patient Management Award, which annually provides up to $50,000 for a first-prize winner and an additional $50,000 to be allocated to one or more medical groups for outstanding implemented or proposed projects to improve the care of high-risk patients.
The compendium demonstrates how the profiled medical groups assessed needs, targeted populations, planned and designed their programs, implemented interventions, overcame challenges, and monitored patient outcomes. The therapeutic areas in the 2001 compendium are pediatric asthma, congestive heart failure, and depression. This volume also features projects related to ambulatory case management for nursing home patients, shared medical appointments for older adults, and visit planning for patients with diabetes and coronary artery disease to ensure that recommended tests or treatments are on schedule. In 2000, the first year of the award, 16 of the most outstanding applications that focused on cardiovascular disease, elder care, end-of-life care, obstetric care, outpatient care, pre-and post-natal care, and renal health were selected for inclusion in the 2000 volume of the compendium.
"Pfizer believes in participating in collaborations that help to improve the quality of clinical care delivered. Partnering with AMGA was natural for Pfizer since AMGA's tradition of fostering quality improvement among medical groups parallels Pfizer's own commitment to care management," explains Dr. Joseph Feczko, senior vice president, medical and regulatory operations of the Pfizer Pharmaceuticals Group.
"We know that exceptional work is going on in medical groups across the country," notes Dr. Donald W. Fisher, president and CEO, AMGA. "Through our partnership with Pfizer, we are able to identify and honor outstanding programs with the award and share key learnings with other healthcare organizations through the compendium."
Copies of the 2001 and 2000 volumes of Innovations in Caring for High-Risk Patients are available at no charge to medical groups, managed care organizations, and other healthcare delivery organizations. To receive a copy of one or both volumes or to request an application for the Models of Excellence in High-Risk Patient Management Award, please contact Stefan Rozga at AMGA at 703-838-0033, extension 326 or via email at [email protected].
Pfizer Inc discovers, develops, manufactures, and markets leading prescription medicines, for humans and animals, and many of the world's best known consumer brands.
AMGA is an association that represents medical groups, including some of the nation's largest, most prestigious integrated healthcare delivery systems. AMGA's mission is to shape the healthcare environment by advancing high quality, cost-effective, patient-centered, and physician-directed healthcare. The members of AMGA deliver healthcare to more than 50 million patients in 39 states, including 15 million capitated lives.
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